(Nanci Griffith) Oh, your golden lights of America, Joseph sought your prairies and your buffalo And the humming of the rails down through Kansas, they brought Joseph in from Baltimore The Cavalry the Indians and an old dan were his only friends Then the old dan died and the Indian's plight Made the Cavalry young Joe's enemy. Oh, the oultlaws spilled the blood across The Kansas plains in the '70s Joseph took a badge for America To defend you from your fantasies Joseph wore that badge across the Kansas prairies To save the railroads But the heroes that we made, well, they were Ruthless soldiers who'll kill for gold. With a broken heart for the frontier plains Joseph sat a-rocking in his front porch swing That old tin badge is tarnished now You know it was just a young man's dream And old man's tales are hard to reach when you Don't believe in your American dream The Indians, the buffalo and old Joe Mason They died from memory Oh, your golden lights of America Joseph sought your prairies and your buffalo And the humming of the rails down through Kansas They brought Joseph in from Baltimore The Cavalry, the Indians and an old dan Forsaken old man. Oh, your golden lights of America.